Wiltshire Council is to pilot a new' legal art wall' in Melksham to give the town’s graffiti artists the opportunity to showcase their talent without vandalising property.

The new art wall will be situated at the underpass on the A350 Bath Road which leads to the Melksham Railway Station and the Asda superstore.

While it will continue to be managed and monitored by Wiltshire Council, a local community arts group will take on the day-to-day running of the wall, including the maintenance and cleaning of the artwork.

It will be the responsibility of all the users to ensure they keep to the specified area and adhere to the code of conduct, which includes no offensive tags and respecting all users of the underpass.

All materials, such as paint and other art supplies, will be provided by the wall users, and the council will step in to remove any inappropriate artwork if required.

The announcement ends several years of indecision about what to do with the underpass, which has been targeted by graffiti artists in the past.

In 2016, there was talk about creating a heritage art project involving children from Melksham Oak Community School at a cost of £35,000-£40,000 but it never materialised.

Some of the graffiti spray-painted on the walls of the Bath Rosd underpass in Melksham in 2018. Some of the graffiti spray-painted on the walls of the Bath Rosd underpass in Melksham in 2018. (Image: Trevor Porter)

In January 2018, vandals spray-painted graffiti on the underpass walls shortly after they had been repainted.

Cllr Nick Holder, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and street scene, said: “Graffiti is a longstanding antisocial issue across the country, and so we’re pleased to be able to trial this legal art wall in Melksham, with the hope it can be a success to roll out into other areas of the county.

“The aim is to both reduce illegal and unsightly graffiti, and to give local artists a legal outlet to share their talents.

“We’ve spoken to other authorities, mostly in urban areas, that have trialled similar projects, and they have seen a fall in illegal graffiti, along with increased engagement with the community, and we hope we can do the same here in Wiltshire.

“We hope to see some fantastic artwork showcased on the wall once it launches later this year – along with a decrease in illegal graffiti in Melksham during the coming months.”

To get involved in the project, people should contact Richard Rogers, strategic engagement and partnerships manager, on richard.rogers@wiltshire.gov.uk.